


It's Just a Bunch of Hocus Pocus

by MaddyBaby



Category: Hocus Pocus (1993), Red Velvet (K-pop Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Hocus Pocus Fusion, Alternate Universe - Witchcraft, Halloween, Jeon Jungkook & Jung Hoseok | J-Hope are Siblings, Kid Jeon Jungkook, M/M, Red Velvet are witches, Yoongi is a cat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:55:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27318097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaddyBaby/pseuds/MaddyBaby
Summary: It never crosses Hoseok’s mind that this might be a bad idea. Not when Seokjin leads him and Jungkook to the garage and tells them to hop into his car (a white 1990 Lexus LS400, just another reminder of how rich the Kim Family actually is), not on the drive to the infamous Crimson Coven house, not even when they park half a mile away and have to walk the rest of the way to their destination. There are no houses or shops in this area of town, everyone giving the supposed “most cursed house in Salem” a wide berth.ORHoseok lights the Black Flame Candle.
Relationships: Jung Hoseok | J-Hope/Kim Seokjin | Jin
Comments: 4
Kudos: 14





	It's Just a Bunch of Hocus Pocus

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Halloween!

The legend of the Crimson Coven is well known throughout the town of Salem, Massachusetts. A group of witches once made up of thirteen powerful women, but who were whittled down to a mere three after the infamous Salem Witch Trials. The story goes that they would lure unsuspecting children into the dark forest with sweet melodies and enticing promises of games, only to eat their souls and soak up their youth in order to stay young forever. They were nearly unstoppable, to the point that the village was petrified of even leaving their homes. That is, until the Min Family moved to town. 

They were a family of witch hunters, known for eradicating entire covens in mere weeks and then relocating to the next town to continue their mission. They were solely responsible for killing the majority of the Crimson Coven, and probably would have gotten them all if the three remaining witches hadn’t gone into hiding when they did. Then, on the morning of October 31st, 1663, the youngest Min daughter went missing. Stories vary in what happened next, but the general consensus is that Yoongi Min, the middle child, somehow knew about where his little sister had been taken, and valiantly went off to save her all by himself. 

When neither child returned even late into the evening, the rest of the Min family backed by nearly the entire town of Salem hunted down the three witches. The witches were forced out of their small cottage, and to everyone’s horror, the Min daughter was found dead inside. The three witches, known only as Irene, Joy, and Yeri, were hung for their crimes. But before they were executed, they spoke a curse into the air that promised a virgin would light the Black Flame Candle and bring them back to life on All Hallow’s Eve. As for poor Yoongi Min, the boy was never found. 

Hoseok thinks it’s all a load of bullshit. 

Of course a popular tourist sight like Salem would have the incentive to make up a story about a curse. How else would the place stay relevant? He just wishes that his family hadn’t forced him to move right into the middle of it all. Who moves across the country the week before Halloween, anyway? 

The craziest part about the legend is that all the inhabitants of Salem eat it up every year. Even Seokjin, who seems to be the smartest person in his history class. And, well, any class Hoseok has ever been in. So maybe Hoseok has developed a crush on his school’s Mr. Rich and Popular. With a face like that, who can blame him? Whenever Hoseok talks to Seokjin, he feels all floaty and malleable, like he would do anything Seokjin asked of him. 

That feeling proves true once more when Hoseok runs into Seokjin while taking Jungkook trick-or-treating. As soon as Seokjin offers to show the two boys the abandoned Crimson Coven Museum, Hoseok agrees right away. Jungkook is far less enthused about the idea, but the eight year old boy doesn’t exactly have any other choice but to follow his older brother like a lost puppy. 

It never crosses Hoseok’s mind that this might be a bad idea. Not when Seokjin leads him and Jungkook to the garage and tells them to hop into his car (a white 1990 Lexus LS400, just another reminder of how rich the Kim Family actually is), not on the drive to the infamous Crimson Coven house, not even when they park half a mile away and have to walk the rest of the way to their destination. There are no houses or shops in this area of town, everyone giving the supposed “most cursed house in Salem” a wide berth. As a result, their surroundings are uncomfortably quiet. 

The paved road hits a dead end right at a thicket of foreboding trees. Seokjin does not hesitate to lead the way into the forest, though, so Hoseok keeps following him. He stops when a tiny hand grips onto his jacket sleeve. When he turns, Jungkook is looking up at him with wide, beseeching eyes. His brother is dressed as a stereotypical witch, with a black satin cloak draped over his shoulders and a pointy hat that is way too big for his small head. 

“I don’t like this, Hobi,” Jungkook whispers, not letting go of Hoseok’s jacket. 

If this were anyone else, Hoseok would roll his eyes and tell them to suck it up. Everyone in this town is so gullible, despite it being glaringly obvious just how much of a cash grab the legend of the Crimson Coven really is. At his old school back in Los Angeles, Hoseok’s teachers taught him that the Salem Witch Trials were caused by paranoia and a few lies that got blown way out of proportion. There is no such thing as soul-sucking witches, and there is certainly no curse of the Black Flame Candle. Still, he sighs sympathetically and crouches down to be eye level with his brother. 

“Kook-ah, you don’t have to be scared. Nothing is gonna attack you except maybe some rats and cobwebs. Plus, Seokjin and I will protect you,” Hoseok says the last part teasingly as he clucks Jungkook lightly underneath the chin. His brother pushes his hand away, but it does the trick, because the boy has to fight down a smile. 

They catch up to Seokjin who is waiting patiently for them at the entrance of the forest. He is smiling softly at them, not even seeming to mind that the two brothers are holding him up. Hoseok smiles back, and the three venture into the forest. Not too long after, they reach a clearing. The light from the full moon casts an eerie glow on the dilapidated cottage standing before them. There is an ominous stone wall built all the way around the cottage, so only the roof is visible. 

Thick ivy crawls up and over the top of the fortress, almost like the cottage has leafy fingers that are being extended in an inviting gesture. At the center of the wall that is facing the three boys is a wooden gate padlocked shut, with a sign bolted to it that reads in bold capital letters:

**CLOSED**

Seokjin pulls out a key from his pocket with a smirk. “Legend has it the bones of one hundred children are buried inside these walls,” he says as he unlocks the gate. 

The boy pushes open the gate doors and they give with a loud creaking sound. As if in slow motion, the cottage is revealed in its full glory. The plants directly around the fortress look dead and evil in their own right, and the house looks no better. The windows have all been boarded up, the roof has several missing shingles, and the brick along the sides have long since rotted from age. Hoseok has to admit, the place definitely _looks_ cursed. 

Seokjin continues to lead the way up the front porch stairs. Dried leaves crunch under their feet, and the steps groan from their combined weight. Seokjin unlocks the house’s front door with another key he brought with him for the trip, and they have to fight through a nest of cobwebs just to breach the threshold of the doorway. It’s nearly pitch black inside, the only light coming from thin beams of moonlight shining between the cracks of the boarded windows. Jungkook whimpers and slaps lightly at Hoseok’s arm, searching for his older brother’s hand. He settles on holding tightly onto Hoseok’s wrist. 

“There should be a light switch around here somewhere,” Seokjin’s voice sounds through the darkness. 

Hoseok squints his eyes as they adjust to the lack of light. He spots a shelf right in front of him that has become blanketed in dust over the years, but the items on the shelf are what draw his attention. When he swipes away the dust to take a closer look, his suspicions are confirmed. On the shelf are several lighters, engraved with some sort of drawing across the front of all of them. Of course. No tourist attraction would be complete without having souvenirs for visitors. He grins triumphantly and snatches up a lighter, flicking the lid off and sparking a flame. 

“Found a lighter,” he calls. He turns and sees Seokjin, and they smile at each other. 

The light emanating from the flame isn’t much, but it’s enough to illuminate the wall and help Seokjin find the light switch. Yellow light bulbs flicker to life, chasing away the cold darkness. Jungkook breathes a sigh of relief. The room before them is quite the sight. Everything is covered in a thick layer of dust, and cobwebs hang from every corner. Even with the lighting the place is dark, with most of the furniture along with the wooden flooring being deep reds and browns. Right in the center of the room is a huge cauldron sitting on top of a grated fire pit. Beyond that is a roped off chest and a floor-to-ceiling shelf displaying old wax candles and opaque bottles. Inside a glass case next to the cauldron is a thick book with a leathery cover, and just to the left of that is a large candle on a tall stand. Three broomsticks have been hooked to a low wooden beam across the ceiling. 

“This here is the cauldron,” Seokjin explains, his tour guide voice in full force. “Upstairs is where they slept…” He walks leisurely around the room as he speaks, and the two brothers follow him. 

A chill runs up Hoseok’s back, along with the sudden and strange sense of being watched. When the feeling persists after a minute, he darts a look behind him. Through a glossy window leading into what looks to be some sort of reading room, he catches a glimpse of glowing yellow eyes. He blinks in shock, and then the eyes are gone. Seokjin leads them to the book encased in glass. 

“This here is Irene’s spellbook. It is said to have been given to her by the devil himself. The book is bound in human skin, and contains the recipes for her most powerful and evil spells,” he reads aloud from a plaque displayed next to the book. He looks up at the two brothers, and Hoseok’s breath catches in his throat. Everything about Seokjin is ethereal, from his high cheekbones to the stars in eyes, Hoseok can’t help but fall for him every time. 

Jungkook makes a strangled sound in the back of his throat. He presses himself against Hoseok’s side, so Hoseok gives him a gentle pat on the shoulder. “I think we get it,” Jungkook whines. 

Hoseok’s eyes are drawn back to the candle on the stand. What makes it so much more special than the others that it is on display by itself? He taps Seokjin on the shoulder and points to the offending object. “What’s that?” 

Seokjin leans close to Hoseok’s face and whispers, “That’s the Black Flame Candle.” 

Hoseok walks over to it and peers at it critically. This is the infamous candle said to bring back the most wicked witches of the Crimson Coven, huh? How lackluster. The candle is white and has intricate carvings on it of what looks like flowers. Just like everything else in the house the candle has dust built up around the top, as well as a cobweb stretching along the length of one side all the way down to the clawed stand holding it up. Overall, it doesn't look nearly as menacing as his teacher made it out to be when she was retelling the story at school today. 

He swipes off some of the dust covering the plaque of information next to the candle, then wipes his hand off on his jeans. “The Black Flame Candle,” he reads in a dramatically spooky voice. Seokin giggles at his antics, and he grins. Jungkook looks less amused. “Made from the fat of a hanged man, legend has it that on a full moon it will raise the spirits of the dead when lit by a virgin on Halloween Night.” 

A terrible idea creeps into his mind then. Well, more of a brilliant idea in his opinion, but he is sure others will disagree. Hoseok retrieves the lighter from earlier that he had stuffed into his jacket pocket, then waves it in front of him teasingly. 

“What do you guys think? Should we light this thing and meet the old broads?” 

Jungkook shakes his head ‘no’ so fast it’s a wonder it doesn’t roll right off his shoulders. 

Seokjin scoffs and playfully rolls his eyes. “I’m good, but thanks.”

Hoseok shrugs and flicks open the lighter. He lifts the flame up to the candle. Just before he lights the candle wick, something jumps onto his back from behind, and sharp claws dig into his shoulders. He screams and tries to smack off whatever it is, but it just yowls angrily and hisses in his ear. It’s a fucking cat! He staggers back and trips over a rug on the ground, falling onto his side. The cat snarls one more time before leaping off him so it doesn’t get crushed under his weight. It runs off somewhere into a dark corner of the house. 

“Stupid cat!” Hoseok yells. He prods gently at the burning scratches on his neck as he stands back up. Luckily, he isn’t bleeding.

“Hoseokkie, please! You’ve had your fun, can we go home now?” Jungkook begs tearfully. He is hugging Seokjin out of fear, and Seokjin rubs his back soothingly. Even the older boy looks considerably spooked. 

“Jungkook is right, let’s go,” Seokjin urges, already on his way to the door hand-in-hand with Jungkook. 

For once, Hoseok is not drawn to follow Seokjin. This was all supposed to be a joke, a way to make a terrible day a little better. But now, after making a fool of himself in front of both his brother and his crush, it’s personal. He has to light the candle. He isn’t sure what it will achieve, but at this point it’s the principle of the thing. 

“Come on, it’s all just a bunch of hocus pocus!” he says a bit more aggressively than intended. He flicks open the lighter determinedly, then brings the flame back to the candle. 

“Hoseok, no!” Jungkook shouts, but it’s too late. 

The candle wick lights almost immediately. It’s a normal yellow flame. Hoseok opens his mouth to laugh and maybe say ‘I told you so’, but in the next instant, the flame turns black. His jaw clamps shut as a freezing gust of wind blows through the house. Jungkook and Seokjin gasp; the younger drops his jack-o-lantern shaped, plastic candy bucket to cover his eyes with his hands. 

“Uh-oh,” Hoseok mutters. 

One by one, the candle-shaped light bulbs shatter and burn out. The wind gets stronger, blowing through everyone’s hair and clothing. Jungkook squeals in fright as his witch hat gets knocked off his head. The ceiling candelabra above them sways harshly with a loud squeak. For a long few seconds, that’s all that happens. Hoseok takes a few cautious steps towards the other two boys. That’s when the ground starts to shake. The wooden floorboards dance violently underfoot, rocking everything in the house, and a sickly green light shines from in between the slats. All three of them cry out as they struggle to keep their footing. 

Just as quickly as it started, the shaking stops, and the silent stillness that follows is ominous. 

“What just happened?” Hoseok asks breathlessly, looking around the suspiciously normal cottage. 

Jungkook puts his witch hat back on his head, looking at his brother with a miffed expression. “A virgin lit the candle,” he deadpans. 

The fake candles on the candelabra burst to life with very real, angry orange flames. The dilapidated fireplace follows suit, and then so do all of the candles strewn about the house. From somewhere in the distance, the sound of a woman laughing maniacally echoes. The front door flies open, almost smacking into Seokjin and Jungkook, but the two rush to hide on either side of the doorway just in time. Hoseok ducks behind the spellbook case, peeking behind the leg as three women dressed in lavish but dated clothing saunter into the cottage. 

All three women have long, dark hair; their eyes are crazed and smiles wicked. All three of their dresses are blood red in color. 

“Girls, we are home!” the woman on the left cheers. The two others join hands and jump in circles excitedly. “My curse worked perfectly!” 

Jungkook creeps silently behind a worktable as the witches stalk over to the Black Flame Candle. 

“But who lit the Black Flame Candle, I wonder…” the same witch muses. Then she gasps, and Hoseok holds his breath as she approaches his hiding spot. 

She stops before the book, tapping a single claw-like fingernail against the glass. “Book~, wake up my dear,” she continues to croon lovingly at the spellbook.

“Irene,” the tallest witch says suddenly. 

“Yes, Joy?” the first witch, apparently Irene, replies distractedly. 

“I smell children.” 

Jungkook curls into a ball behind the desk. Seokjin cringes behind the door. The witches creep around the cauldron led by Joy, who sniffs at the air unflatteringly. 

“It’s a little boy.” Another sniff. “Seven, maybe eight. And a half.” 

“Oh, let’s play with him!” the third witch exclaims. She begins to softly sing as the three of them get closer to the desk. 

“Shhh, Yeri, we don’t want to spook the child,” Irene says with a smirk. They stop just before the desk. “Come out, dear. We will not harm thee.” 

“Yes, we love children!” Joy says with a harsh slap to the desk that shakes the piece of furniture. 

Jungkook pops up with a yelp of surprise. He is visibly trembling, but stands straight with his shoulders back in an effort to look brave. He opens his mouth to speak, but his voice comes out as an inaudible whisper. 

“Aw, such a handsome little child,” Irene says sweetly. Yeri giggles. Joy makes her way around the desk to close the gap between her and Jungkook. 

“Look at how well fed he is. His cheeks are so plump.” 

“Would you like to stay for supper, child?” Irene asks, approaching Jungkook from his other side. 

The boy tries backing up, but he is surrounded by the witches and the wall. “That’s okay, I’m not hungry,” he replies weakly. 

“But we are!” Yeri growls, and the two other witches grab Jungkook by the arms and lift him off his feet. Jungkook flails in their hold, screaming. 

Hoseok jumps up from where he is hiding. “Hey!” The witches freeze. “Let go of my little brother,” he orders, trying to seem imposing as he walks around the spellbook case. 

The witches stare at him peculiarly, with haunting smiles on their lips. They put Jungkook back on his two feet, but don’t let go of him completely. Irene steps away from the group and flicks her fingers towards Hoseok. Electricity shoots out from the tips and strikes Hoseok, knocking him down. 

“I haven’t lost my touch!” Irene cheers. She sends out the electricity again, but doesn’t stop this time, and Hoseok screams at the painful sensation of being shocked again and again. 

It seems to go on forever, but in reality it’s probably only a minute. Above his own screaming, he hears running feet and a loud _BANG!_

“Stay away from my big brother!” Jungkook's voice shouts, and then Irene yells and the electricity stops. 

Hoseok blinks away the black spots in his vision and props himself up against the wall, his muscles still seizing. Joy and Yeri are on the ground, rubbing their heads dazedly. Seokjin is standing above them, holding a broom like a baseball bat. Irene is fighting with Jungkook, trying to wrap her fingers around his throat. Hoseok tries to force himself to intervene, but his limbs feel like jelly. It turns out he doesn’t have to, though, as the black cat from earlier yowls once more as it jumps onto Irene’s back and claws at her face and neck. She screeches and releases Jungkook in favor of trying to shake off her attacker. 

Now free, Jungkook runs over to Hoseok and pulls insistently on his arm. “Get up, Hobi, we have to go!” 

They both manage to stand up and meet Seokjin who is now waving them frantically towards the front door. They catch up with him, and Jungkook and Seokjin dash out the door and down the porch stairs, but Hoseok hesitates. The witches have magic, they need to be subdued so he and the others have time to run away. He looks up at the ceiling, and sees that there is a sprinkler system. Of course! This place was a museum, it needs to be up to code! There is a raised storage area just above the door. It’s big enough for him to stand on, he thinks. Without wasting another second, he climbs onto a souvenir display table and jumps to grab onto the storage area’s ledge. 

Once he has hoisted himself up and is standing above everything, he shouts, “Hey!” 

The cat jumps down from Irene and hides, drawing the three witches’ attention to him. They scowl up at him. 

“You’ve messed with the great and powerful Hoseok, and now you must suffer the consequences!” Hoseok bellows. He has no idea what he’s saying, but he has no choice but to go with it. “I summon the Burning Rain of Death!” 

The witches look at each other with confusion, muttering to each other. When he flicks open his lighter, making sure the metal is enclosed in his fist, they gasp in shock. 

“He makes fire in his hand!” Joy hisses. 

He raises the flame to the sprinkler, and after a moment the heat triggers it. Water explodes from all of the sprinklers in the house at once, soaking everything in sight. Hoseok lifts his arms triumphantly. The witches scream and start running in circles. 

“The Burning Rain of Death! It’s the Burning Rain of Death!” Irene and Joy wail. 

“Come on, you fools! Get under the shelter!” Irene yells, pulling the other two into the reading room. 

Hoseok leaps down onto the first level, but slips on the wet wooden panels as he tries to run outside. The black cat climbs up onto his chest, peering down at him with its glowing yellow eyes. It opens its mouth, but instead of hissing or making any other cat-like sound, a boy’s gruff and annoyed voice comes out. 

“Nice going, _Hoseok_.” the cat sneers. 

Hoseok’s eyes widen. What the fuck? Is this happening? Did he hit his head when he slipped? “Y-you can talk.” 

“Yeah, no kidding. Now get the spellbook!” the cat demands. When he doesn’t automatically move, the cat smacks him with the flat of its paw, spurring him into action. 

Hoseok stumbles over to the case holding the spellbook. He looks around for something to smash the glass with, and sees the plaque of information. The plaque is on its own metal stand, so Hoseok yanks it up and slams the edge into the glass. It shatters, and he hears Irene scream in anguish. Glass shards cut up his fingers, but he ignores the pain as he grabs the book and hightails it out of the cottage. The talking cat follows him. 

“Hoseok! Over here!” Seokjin’s voice calls from outside the gates. Jungkook is with him, jumping in place. 

“Hurry, come on!” Jungkook cries. 

He runs over to them and they take off without looking back. The witches’ screams fade into the distance, but none of them stop running until they’re out of the forest.

**Author's Note:**

> This was terrible, and I'm so sorry. Please go easy on me.


End file.
